What are the Wright Brothers famous for?

A:

Quick Answer

In 1903, the Wright Brothers flew the first powered airplane over North Carolina. The airplane flew in the area for 12 seconds over a distance of 120 feet and flew 20 feet over the ground. Over the next day, the brothers flew three more planes with a record of 852 feet of distance and 59 seconds.

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While the brothers began in experimentation with gliders and flight in 1896, it wasn't until the early 20th century that they began to explore with powered airplanes over Kitty Hawk. Since no engine existed at that time that was as powerful and as light as an airplane would need it to be, the Wright Brothers were tasked with creating their own engine especially for flight. Though several newspapers were told about the groundbreaking invention, only one published news of the flight at that time.

Over the next few years, the brothers attempted to create a consumer-friendly, marketable version of the aircraft. By 1905 and 1906, the brothers believed they had created a more practical version of their original airplane and had potential pilots lining up the test out their new creation, respectively. After 1909, science caught up to the initial Wright Brothers discovery and with the incorporation of more powers of aerodynamics, the airplane became irreplaceable by World War II.